2. They don't prioritize money above all else.

While there are those who spend their 20s drifting without
direction, there are others who are so afraid of failure that
they take a job solely because it provides a comfortable
paycheck. But, says Quora user
Rich Tatum, that job you're not interested in quickly becomes
a career, and by the time you're 30, it's a lot harder to start
pursuing your passion.

3. They save.

A Bankrate survey of 1,003 people found that 69% of those ages
18-29
had no retirement savings at all. Twenty-somethings who don't
have enough foresight to recognize that one day they're going to
retire and need money to live on are missing out on years of
money gained through interest.

Entrepreneur Aditya Rathnam says
there's no need to start investing too much, since you're just
starting your career, but it's essential to take advantage of
your company's 401(k) matching program, if one is available,
and/or open an IRA account.

4. They develop a debt repayment plan.

Use cards to build credit,
not rack up debt.Joe Raedle / Getty
Images

Seventy percent of college students graduated with an average of
$30,000 in student loan debt last year, but that doesn't mean
that debt is somehow a badge of adulthood.

5. They take care of their health.

As each year goes by, it becomes harder to start a sustained
exercise regimen, and harder still to recover from a late night
of drinking.

While you're still young, says Quora user
Mo Seetubtim, develop healthy habits that will set you up for
the next phase of life. Enjoy your vices in moderation, eat well,
and choose a workout over a happy hour now and then.

6. They're persistent.

If you're an ambitious 20-something who thinks that adulthood
means having things figured out, then getting fired from a job,
ending a serious relationship, or having your company fail can be
devastating. But the truly successful are able to learn from what
went wrong and move forward all the wiser.

"Getting fired and waking up the next day as usual made me
realize that failure isn't the end of the world. Getting dumped
taught me the difference between a good and a bad relationship,
something I already knew inside but refused to accept until the
bad relationship was over," says
Carolyn Cho on Quora.

7. They don't try to please everyone.

Your 20s are a time to start building a network that will
establish a foundation for your career. If you know that, it's a
good idea to be on friendly terms with your boss, clients, and
all of your coworkers. Eventually, however, you're going to meet
people you don't like and those who don't like you. That's
normal, and not a sign that you should change yourself, as long
as everything else is going well.

"Inevitably, someone will always dislike you. I wish I had
figured this out a lot earlier and stopped trying so hard and
worrying so much about it," says
Cho.

8. They're flexible.

While it's good to set career goals that keep you focused and
motivated, you should avoid getting caught up in intricate
five-year plans,
Joe Choi says on Quora.

Author and investor
James Altucher says that one of the main problems he's found
among people in their 20s is that they get caught up in
absolutes. He recommends keeping yourself flexible and open to
new experiences. There's a good chance that the ideal life you
envisioned for yourself at age 20 doesn't resemble the one that
ultimately makes you happy at age 30.

9. They keep learning.

Degrees from elite universities may make you smarter and help
your reputation, but they won't count for much if you don't keep
learning as you go.

Read as much as you can about your industry, and learn to develop
skills that you probably never would study in a classroom like
"the abilities to assimilate, communicate, and persuade,"
Tatum says.

10. They travel as much as possible.

See as
much as you can before you get tied down.Reuters

When you're just starting out, you probably don't have much
disposable income. But just because you can't take a week-long
ski trip in Switzerland doesn't mean you should confine yourself
to the space between work and home.

Your twenties,
Shikhar Argawal says on Quora, are a time when "you are
mature enough to go out on your own and immature enough to learn
from others." Break out of your bubble as much as you can afford
to, and don't ignore career opportunities far from home if they
arise.

11. They maintain important relationships.

"Your college pals that you think will be your best pals for
life? Some will still be there at 40, most will be living their
lives doing their thing," says
Sutherland Cutter on Quora. As everyone is figuring out their
lives, you'll realize that relationships take work to maintain.

It's worth staying in touch with former coworkers and buddies,
though. The 1973 study "The
Strength of Weak Ties" by Mark Granovetter of Johns Hopkins
University found that the weak ties you share with acquaintances
are most often the connections that get you ahead, since they
have access to different networks and ideas from you.

12. They let things go.

Picking fights and holding grudges will make you miserable,
Tatum says, whether that's in your personal or professional
life.

You'll realize soon enough that your hard work won't always be
recognized, either,
Rahul Bhatt writes on Quora. But never let that be an excuse
to be lazy or bitter.

13. They think about the impact of their decisions.

You should definitely use the time when you're still single and
without kids to take bigger risks than you otherwise would, but
that isn't a call to live recklessly.

A decision you make in a few seconds off an emotional impulse
"can rob you of years of joy and happiness,"
Tatum writes.

14. They understand that their parents aren't always right.

Quora user Arpan Roy writes that
as he looks back on his 20s, he's come to see that even though he
loves his parents and appreciates their advice, it wasn't always
the best for him.

As you grow older, you'll come to see your parents less as
authority figures and more as people just doing the best they
can. "After all, your parents are human, and humans are not
correct all the time," Roy says.

15. They're honest.

The deceitful manipulation of others and sucking up to superiors
can only take you so far — they're not the keys to a lasting,
fruitful career.

"The truth has a way of rearing its ugly head, so the sooner you
can come to integrity with yourself and the world at large, the
sooner you'll be able to get working towards what you really
want, who you really want to be," Arjuna Perkins says.